Job Seekers and Part Time Work

My son has been receiving Jobseekers Allowance of 105 euros a week (reduced because of my income and the fact that he is 23) He recently got taken on by a well known shop for the Christmas period and has been promised 15 to 20 hours a week @ 9.70 an hour. He was thrilled.

I was sure he would be able to keep his Jobseekers or at least some of it and I sent him up to the Social Welfare Office today to explain the situation and he came home totally despondent; he will lose ALL of the Jobseekers! I would accept this if it was an income based assessment but it is not....he loses it solely on the basis that he will be working 5 days a week, albeit only 3 or 4 hours a day. If he worked the hours over 3 days he would keep about 60% of the allowance.

He has now worked out that by the time he pays for transport and a cup of tea in there, he will basically come out with about 20 euros a week on top of what he was getting anyway. I am so upset for him...as the poor sod worked like a dog last year on the jobridge programme, leaving the house at 7.30 am and getting home at 6.30 pm for 155 euros a week (105 + 50) At the time I told him it would be worth it...something would come out of it, it would be good experience etc etc...but I haven't the heart to do that now.

Please tell me is there any way round this? What is the deal with this 3 days or 5 days lark? There appears to be no logic to it at all. Surely the amount you earn should be in the mix...not the number of days you work???

I agree with you. I know someone that works 3 days per week, 27 hours, and is able to claim JB for the other days. I should be on the amount of money you earn and not on the number of days you work.

Job seekers = available & actively looking for work

Working a few hrs each day = not available for work each day

Some of your sons hrs may even be late evening, which would be outside the standard working hrs, 9 to 5. Does working on a Sunday count as one day worked, you used to be allowed to work on a Saturday & Sunday

How long is he unemployed? If long term unemployed, he can avail of the part time job incentive scheme

Thank you all. Annie, I could cry...I really feel it is ridiculous.

NHG, I understand the principle...but he is still ACTIVELY seeking other work (he is a college grad) and he is also available....he would give up this job in a heartbeat if a full time one turned up. There is some leeway around Sunday work as I understand it, but this company have no difficulty getting people to work the weekends; he was taken on because he was happy to work Monday to Friday.

Sarah, he has been getting Jobseekers since July '11 so he satisfies that criterion BUT incredibly he is not eligible for that scheme as his Jobseekers allowance was LESS than 119 euro (it was reduced because of my income) If he had been getting 119 or more, he would retain a payment of 119 for a few months. Unbelievable isn't it? Thwarted on every front.

Feel very bitter about this as I have been paying tax for the last 32 years and this is the first time we as a family have asked for anything back, but we don't qualify.